Movie and TV star Reginald VelJohnson is best known for starring as family patriarch Carl Winslow on Family Matters, and if the series gets rebooted, the actor wants to be a part of it. Recently, it had been reported WarnerMedia was looking into reviving or rebooting many of the classic TGIF sitcoms from the ’90s, from Family Matters to Perfect Strangers.
In the light of this news, Reginald VelJohnson was asked if he were to potentially be involved in a continuation of Family Matters, the star of the show made it clear he would jump at the opportunity to be a part of it.
“I didn’t realize it was going to last that long, and I did it, and people seemed to love it. It would be nice to do a sequel or something to it you know? I think people would enjoy that. Whatever they wanted me to do, I’d be involved in [it]. I am so excited that people are still lovin’ the stuff, the work that I … that’s been done and want it to come back . I’m so happy that people are responding to what I did years ago and whatnot and they’re responding, you know? I love it man Family Matters, I would love to do a reboot of that show .”
Family Matters first premiered in 1989 on the ABC network. It focuses on an African American family living in the suburbs of Chicago, with VelJohnson starring as police officer Carl Winslow. Also starring as his family members were Jo Marie Pyton as Harriette, Darius McCrary as Eddie, Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura, Jaimee Foxworth as Judy, and Rosetta NeNoire as Estelle. Of course, the breakout character of the series was annoying neighbor Steve Urkel, played by Jaleel White. The quotable nerd firmly established himself as one of the most well-known characters in pop culture by uttering lines like, “Got any cheese?” Originally, Urkel was only meant to be a recurring character, but his popularity brought him to the forefront of the show
Ultimately, Family Matters would air on TV for nine seasons and 215 episodes before concluding its run in 1997. While some classic sitcoms are known to reunite their characters for reunion specials, nothing of the sort has ever happened with Family Matters, meaning Urkel and the Winslows hasn’t been seen in over two decades. Still, the program remains a popular watch in syndication, and was added to Hulu’s subscription service in 2017. It will later be brought to WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service HBO Max.
The success of Fuller House on Netflix is also something which could contribute to the likelihood of a Family Matters revival. A continuation of the classic ’90s sitcom Full House, the series features a combination of several familiar faces from the original show along with the introduction of many new characters. It proved to be a winning formula, as it was nominated for an Emmy and won several People’s Choice and Teen Choice Awards. After running for four seasons, the show will premiere its fifth and final season on Netflix later this year. If something like Full House can get five seasons worth out of a revival, it stands to reason Family Matters could have similar success.
Should WarnerMedia move forward with a reboot of Family Matters for HBO Max, it’s good to know it might feature the return of Carl Winslow. Of course, if a revival series is set in the same universe, chances are Steve Urkel will show up as well, so Jaleel White chooses to reprise the role. We’ll see if it ultimately happens, but in the age of reboots, it certainly seems likely. This information comes to us from ComicBook.com.
